AT&T Invests Nearly $850 Million Over 3-Year Period to Enhance Local Networks in Kansas

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May 12, 2016, 02:00 ET

TOPEKA, Kan., May 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- At AT&T¹, we've invested nearly $850 million in our Kansas wireless and wired networks during 2013-2015. These investments drive a wide range of upgrades to reliability, coverage, speed and overall performance for residents and businesses. They also enhance critical services that support public safety and first responders.

In 2015, AT&T made about 240 wireless network upgrades in Kansas. We added new cell sites, additional network capacity, and new wireless high-speed Internet connections. We also launched HD Voice, which enables clearer voice calls and simultaneous voice and data at 4G LTE speeds.

During 2015, we also launched AT&T GigaPower, which offers up to 1Gbps Internet speeds over our fiber-based network, in eight Kansas communities. We also continued a significant expansion of access to AT&T's business fiber network.

"Our investment in Kansas brings a host of new, innovative opportunities for residents and businesses," said Mike Scott, president of AT&T Kansas, AT&T. "We want our customers to be able to access the Internet at any moment, from almost any device and anywhere. We can make that happen thanks to state and local officials who are creating a positive environment that allows us to invest aggressively in Kansas."

"Having access to fast, strong, reliable high-speed Internet service translates into more job opportunities and helps us all work smarter and stronger," said Kansas Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mike O'Neal. "AT&T's investment not only enhances economic opportunity for consumers and businesses – it also underscores our reputation as a great place to expand a business and create jobs."

Notable Kansas network enhancements in 2015 included:

Launching AT&T GigaPower in parts of eight Kansas communities, including Fairway, Leawood, Lenexa, Mission Hills, Olathe, Overland Park, Prairie Village and Shawnee.
Expanding AT&T business fiber, which since 2012 has added more than 17,000 business locations in Kansas.
Making more than 210 wireless carrier additions, adding capacity to cell sites.
Installing more than additional 20 wireless network upgrades.
Building several new cell sites.

The AT&T LTE network covers 365 million people in North America. In 2015, we added several markets in Kansas to the extensive AT&T LTE network, including Dodge City, Garden City, Liberal, Pittsburg and Salina.

In 2016, for the second year in a row, FORTUNE magazine recognized AT&T as the Most Admired Telecommunications Company in the world. We also placed #48 among the Top 50 World's Most Admired companies. This is our third year in a row on the Top 50 list – AT&T is the only communications company on the list. We ranked #1 in all 9 attributes. This included innovation, financial soundness and quality of products/services. FORTUNE's Most Admired Companies lists are among the most highly respected indicators of corporate performance and reputation.

We offer Internet customers a great combination of speed and price. Additionally, AT&T high-speed Internet² customers have access to our entire national AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spot Network at no additional charge³.We also offer our award-winning DIRECTV® service to eligible locations. Customers may be eligible for AT&T U-verse TV service, a 100% digital service available over our advanced network. In 2015, Woman's Choice Awards® named AT&T U-verse TV "America's Most Recommended Brand among women for Broadband, Television and Phone Service."

AT&T GigaPower offers our fastest Internet speeds, up to 1Gbps⁴ over a 100% fiber network to more than 1.5 million locations across 20 major metro areas. We've announced plans to expand the availability of Internet speeds up to 1Gbps to homes, apartments and small businesses in parts of 36 additional cities across the U.S. – which will total at least 56 metros served.

We plan to continue to roll out our fastest Internet services over a 100% fiber network to reach more than 14 million additional residential and commercial locations.

We have big plans for 2016. We'll be giving you the ability to access and stream DIRECTV video services over a wired or wireless Internet connection from any provider and from virtually any device – smartphone, tablet, Smart TV, streaming media hardware or PC. We plan for each service to come with a set number of simultaneous sessions. These services will not require annual contracts, satellite dishes or set-top boxes.

We have an extensive Wi-Fi network with more than 40,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots at popular restaurants, hotels, bookstores and retailers. We provide access to Wi-Fi at more than 1 million Hot Spots around the world. Most AT&T smartphone and home Internet customers get access to our entire national Wi-Fi network at no additional cost. Wi-Fi usage doesn't count towards customers' monthly wireless data plans.⁵

To learn more about our coverage in Kansas, or anywhere in the U.S., visit the AT&T Coverage Viewer. For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit the AT&T network news page.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward- looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, mobile, high speed Internet and voice services. We're the world's largest provider of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. We offer the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider.* And we help businesses worldwide serve their customers better with our mobility and highly secure cloud solutions.

Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at http://about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att.

© 2016 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

*Global coverage claim based on offering discounted voice and data roaming; LTE roaming; voice roaming; and world-capable smartphone and tablets in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier. International service required. Coverage not available in all areas. Coverage may vary per country and be limited/restricted in some countries.

¹ AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
² Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse services. Call or go to www.att.com/u-verse to see if you qualify.
³ Access includes AT&T Wi-Fi Basic. Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See www.attwifi.com for details and locations.
⁴ Internet speed claims represent maximum network service capability speeds. Actual customer speeds may vary based on factors including site traffic, content provider server capacity, internal network management factors, and device capabilities and are not guaranteed. For more information, go to att.com/speed101.
⁵ A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See attwifi.com for details and locations.

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